Michael Sullivan

Massachusetts voters are heading to the polls to decide which Republican and Democratic candidates will win their party primaries and go on to run in the state's second special U.S. Senate election in four years.

The race to fill the seat formerly held by Secretary of State John Kerry has been overshadowed by the Boston Marathon bombings. A light turnout is expected today.

The Republican candidates include former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez, former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and state Rep. Daniel Winslow.

BOSTON (AP) — Several candidates vying in the special U.S. Senate campaign in Massachusetts are working to define their positions on abortion.

U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, a conservative Democrat, has been trying to reconcile his stated anti-abortion position with the more nuanced stance he has taken since entering the race. Lynch has emphasized that he would not vote to make abortion illegal.

Lynch's Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, has been endorsed by two major abortion rights groups.

Gabriel Gomez,one of the three Republicans running in the special U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts, formally launched his campaign on Thursday with events across the state.

Speaking at an American Legion Hall in West Springfield, Gomez introduced himself as a fresh faced political outsider with an appealing life story. He’s the son of Columbian immigrants, a former Navy SEAL and a successful businessman. He said reducing government spending, and creating jobs are top priorities

The campaigns of three Republican senate hopefuls in Massachusetts say they’ve collected enough signatures to qualify for the April primary ballot.

The un-expected three-way Republican primary will include Gabriel Gomez, a private equity investor and former Navy SEAL. Former U.S Attorney for Massachusetts, Michael Sullivan, and State Reprsentative Dan Winslow. Western New England University political science professor Tim Vercellotti says the candidates have very different backgrounds.